Custom Award Decoration Methods

The right decoration turns a blank award into something a recipient wants to keep on the shelf. Below are the methods we use most, what each one costs, and where each one shines. Want help picking? Talk to one of our Awards Experts: 1-800-429-2737. We also make custom awards for large orders and ceremonies on tight timelines.

Etched Glass & Crystal Color Fill Awards

Most crystal and glass awards are deep etched by sandblasting. We cut a protective film mask from your engraving file and apply it to each award.

Then one of our artisans sandblasts each piece by hand. Want the design to stand out more? Add color with the method we call color fill.

Color fill is hand painting into the etched areas, right to the edges of your design. It's a single-color process, so colors won't touch or blend. It starts at $10 per color per award with our stock paints, and we can PMS match if you need an exact brand color.

Our Stock Color-Fill Color Options:

Pick from up to 20 stock paint colors, or ask for a custom shade. Color makes the etched detail jump out against the clear glass around it. It's a small upgrade that makes the whole award read as more finished.

Full Color Printing

When a design has too many colors for color fill, full-color printing takes over. It's the way to add a photo or a detailed logo to an award. We print directly onto the award surface with industrial UV flatbed printers, so it works on awards that lay flat. Mixing etching with full-color print often looks best, and it starts at $10 per award depending on size.

3D Engraving in Crystal Awards

Also called subsurface engraving, 3D engraving uses a pinpoint laser to fracture tiny dots inside a crystal. Those dots form the image. It only works on a small set of thick, perfectly clear crystal awards.

Engrave a flat logo or text and it looks like it's floating inside the crystal. Send us a 3D CAD file of something like a product or a building, and we can engrave a true 3D model in there instead.

We can also turn almost any object into a 3D award. Our rendered-file library covers everything from animals to a strand of DNA. For a custom subject, we need photos from every angle. Custom 3D work has a one-time art fee starting at $100.

Multiple Etching Locations

Want more room for your design? Pick an award built for etch engraving in more than one spot. Extra etch locations let you add depth without crowding a single panel.

Thick awards handle this best. You can etch a background design and still personalize the front of a crystal or glass piece.

Some awards have accent pieces or bases that make a clean spot for a recipient's name, which keeps the main etch area free for your logo and message. Each extra etch location starts at $10 per award.

Custom Graphics and Logo Design for Your Award

Every award is a blank canvas, whether it's a plaque or a trophy in crystal, glass, or acrylic. Etch a golfer or a golf ball onto one and you've got a custom golf trophy. Need a theme for your award? Our artists work from a full library of etch-ready design elements, with one-time art fees starting at $25.